Safety Is Always First
The great thing about Mazel
parents is that they are some
of the most safety conscious
people on the planet. When
it comes to illness prevention,
stranger danger, or avoiding
hazards around the house,
Mazel parents are already
ahead of the curve.
At Mazel we don’t take safety any less
seriously than the parents do at home, and
that’s pretty serious. Our kids visit a firehouse
to learn what to do in case of an emergency,
and police officers visit us to give the kids
a look at their job of keeping everyone safe.
By reinforcing important safety concepts at
home and in school we insure that our kids
learn and have fun while being aware of their
surroundings.
Mazel Parent Page Executive Committee
Mazel Parent Association
mazelnewsletter@gmail.com

B y Elina Rokhkind
For your convenience, here is a list of some
other popular places to ice skate in New York
City. Check their respective websites for times
and rates.
OUTDOOR
• Ice Rink at Rockefeller Center (Manhattan)

www.bryantpark.org/things-to-do/wintervillage.html
• The Rink at Brookfield Place in Battery Park City
(Manhattan)

www.lakesideprospectpark.com
After multi-million renovations and years of constructions,
Lakeside in Prospect Park is finally open with not one, but
two rinks – one open-air and one covered with over 30,000
sq. ft of combined skating surface. In addition to beautiful
Prospect Park surroundings, this ice skating destination is
features reasonable rates, with kids under 12 skating for free
on Mondays from 3pm to 6 pm. The new facility also offers
ice skating and hockey lessons and youth and adult hockey
league

The Drop Zone at Mountain Creek is the largest
tubing park in our area, with 30 chutes for
zooming down the mountain. Tubers must be
at least 5 years old and 42 inches tall to hit the
hills, and advance reservations are strongly
recommended, especially on weekends. Your
two-hour session starts when you arrive, so you
don’t need to wait for a specific time.

With winter taking its course, families do
not want to miss all the winter activities.
The all-time favorite, suitable even for the
smallest fun-lovers, is snow-tubing. Here
is a round-up of 3 popular places closest
to home(taken from mommypoppins.com).
Please check respective websites for exact
schedule and pricing.
Campgaw Mountain in Mahwah, NJ
200 Campgaw Road
approx. 1hr 20 min from Brighton Beach,
$18-$24 depending on day of the week

This tiny ski resort offers eight tubing runs with
two lifts, so kids can ride their tubes back up
instead of walking. Reserving your session in
advance online is recommended.
Minimum height 42.

Galli Theater is a small and welcoming place,
where fairy tales are brought to life by a troupe
of talented actors, in humorous contemporary
adaptations. Here kids do not just watch a show
on a faraway stage - they sit next to the action,
literally participating in it by screaming at the
top of their lungs to Snow White not to take a
poisonous apple or by pointing out something
a character might be “missing”. Scheduled
performances include Hansel and Gretel in
January, and The Frog Prince in February.
They also offer 40-minute after-show theater
workshop s for kids for $15.

Tuxedo Ridge offers five tubing runs and lift
service. All tubers must be at least 42 inches tall
to participate. Sessions are 90 minutes each, and
often sell out, so make online reservations before
you go.
3

Humor
T HE MAZE L CO NS PIRACY FILE S

By Gennady Favel

For millennia Jews have been the center of conspiracy theories and various diabolical
accusations. Some of these conspiracies involve secret religious rituals, following the Protocols of The
Elders of Zion, control of world banks and media, and even involvement in international terrorist plots.
So it is only natural that after the recent tuition hikes that conspiracy theories about where the money is
REALLY going to be used have began to circulate. Below are the top four conspiracy theories for the true
reason behind next school year’s tuition increase.

4

Man’s Home is His Castle (literally) – This theory
alleges that after many years of middle-class toil the
founders of Mazel decide to join South Brooklyn’s
privileged class and build a mansion on Manhattan
Beach. For several years Chani and Avremel, using
the pseudonyms Boris and Natasha Ivanov, have been
buying beachfront land on the most desirable block of the
neighborhood. Next year they will be breaking ground on
a three floor mega mansion. Each doorway will be adorned
with a diamond encrusted mezuzah, and it is said that the
kitchen sink instead of water will have the finest kosher
wine flowing through it’s faucet.

3

From West End To Wall Street – According to this
version of events, in 2009 the treasurer of the school
used that year’s tuition revenue to bet against the
stock of Google, proclaiming, that “if people in the future
will need to search for anything ,the answers will be found
in the Torah and not some hokey website.” Investors on
Wall Street thought differently and ever since then Mazel
has been using tuition increases to cover the growing
investment loses.

2

The Ruling Elite – It has been theorized for some
time that the board at Mazel is comprised of
multimillionaires who couldn’t give two shekels about
Mazel families and their financial problems. Eager to keep
the local population impoverished in order to promulgate
their own sense of entitlement, these local oligarchs use
the increases in tuition to feed their Putin-like craving for
power and control.

1

Who Needs A Salary – Some people have hypothesized
that the reason for past years’ low tuition is that Mazel’s
teachers were actually ex-convicts who taught at Mazel
in order to meet their court-ordered community service
obligations. This theory got additional traction since it
was thought that the reason for early Friday dismissal
was so that teachers could attend weekly meetings with
their parole officers. Now that most of their sentences are
coming to an end these teachers are demanding that they
be paid a living wage or they will return back to a life of
crime.

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4

Teacher Talk
T EACHER INTE RVIE W
Interview with Cara Stoll
In this issue of our newsletter, we are turning
the spotlight on our new
3rd grade teacher, Cara
Stoll. Cara was born in
Norwalk, CT and moved
down to South Florida at
a very young age. After
graduating from high
school, she attended
The University of Hartford where she graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Elementary
Education. She then went on to complete her
Masters of Arts in Literacy from Teachers College, Columbia University. Cara joined Mazel in
August 2013, and it is her second year teaching
in general.
Why did you choose the teaching profession?
I chose the teaching profession because I love working
with children. I started at an early age with babysitting and my enjoyment grew with working with them
throughout my teen years so it was a natural feeling to
become a teacher to do the work that I am passionate
about.

By Kate Ilyaguyev
In your opinion, what makes Mazel Day School
different from other schools?
Mazel Day School is different because I can feel the love
the students and teachers have for one another and
the school itself. The warmth of the staff makes it an
easy environment to work in and feel that educating the
child is its main goal.
What is your favorite activity in the classroom?
I love “read aloud” and studying the various topics in
Social Studies.
What are some of the projects you are currently
working on in class?
The students are working in groups to research the
Oregon Trail and they will be working towards the
final project, which will be board games all about
the Oregon Trail. I researched kid friendly sites and
made them all research packets. They are working in
groups using that information to develop questions
and answers that they will eventually use in their board
game. They will also be creating the rules, game pieces
and designing the board and using their research to
come up with the questions.
How do you approach an issue of bullying in your
classroom?
In regards to bullying, I have shown my kids videos
on YouTube, we have done role playing, and a lot of
discussions about defining what bullying exactly is.

What do you love most about teaching in general?
My favorite moment is the “AhHa” moment. It just
makes me feel whole seeing that children are getting
something new especially when they discover it on their
own with the tools that I have provided.
I love seeing children have that AH- HA moment when
it is most evident that they were struggling with a
concept and then it just finally clicks for them.
How did you first find out about Mazel Day School
and what motivated you to work here?
I was researching day schools and fell upon the
school through a website search. I love the fact that
it is a neighborhood school that is tight knit which
incorporates the best of both the secular and Judaic
worlds.

5

It Worked for Me
H O ME SA F E TY TIPS
Kitchen Safety Tips

By Anna Rakhlis
9. Never try to catch a falling knife. Instead, let it drop.
10. Always walk with knives at your side, pointed
downward, or using both hands to remain aware that
you’re carrying a sharp object.

Safety Step Markers
Make sure the basement stairs are always visible by adding
fluorescent stripes to the treads. Affix adhesive strips of
tape or apply a 1-inch stripe of fluorescent paint (both
available at hardware stores) to a clean, dust-free surface;
position each strip 1 inch from edge of step to minimize
wear.

The kitchen can be a dangerous place if the proper
precautions are not taken. Follow these safety tips to
ensure that nobody gets injured while cooking.
The Stove

Car Safety Kit
You never know when trouble is going to occur on the
road. To be extra safe, it’s always best to plan ahead and
stock your car with a safety kit.
Store in Your Trunk

1. Keep flammable items away from the stove. Avoid
placing pot holders, towels, or your sleeves near an
open flame.

• Jumper cables

2. Keep a fire extinguisher on hand just in case.

• Jack

3. Don’t bring a big pot of boiling water to the sink to drain
it. Instead, use a hand strainer or a spider to remove
food.

• Cotton gloves

4. Turn all pot handles inward so children can’t grab them.
If you bump into a handle, the pot can fall and burn you
— or your child.

• Sand or absorbent cat litter for traction

5. Remember this cardinal rule: When the fat is on the fire,
pay attention! Many kitchen fires start because someone
forgets about a pan of fat or oil. Oil gets hotter and
hotter and can burst into flames.
Appliances
6. Don’t use appliances near the sink. If one happens to fall
in water, it can electrocute you.
Using Knives
7. Never keep knives on the edge of the counter where
children can reach them.
8. Never carry knives outward, as you could stab someone.

• Inflated spare tire

• Extra bottle of windshield wiper fluid

• Reflective safety vest
• Roadside reflectors
Store in the Car Cabin
• Auto escape hammer to break the window if you have
no other way out of the vehicle. Mount this to your
dashboard so you can reach it in an emergency.
• Flashlight and fresh batteries
• Simple first-aid kit
• Blanket
Resources
You can find most of these items at hardware stores.

The Berenstain Bears Learn
About Strangers
Stan and Jan Berenstain
When Papa Bear tells the cubs why they should never
talk to strangers, Sister begins to view all strangers
as evil until Mama brings some common sense to the
problem. “The Bears’ rules for safe conduct among
strangers are listed on the last pages, including a rule
about the privacy of a bear’s body. A good book to start
awareness in young children.”
—School Library Journal.

7

Parent Talk
PA RENT I NTE RVIE W
Interview with Cara Stoll

By Kate Ilyaguyev
Irina met her husband, Rubin, during her
second semester in college. She shared an
interesting story of how they first met. She told
me they met through a matchmaker. Once when
Rubin was driving home he noticed an elderly
woman who used to be his neighbor when he
was younger. He stopped his car and offered
her a ride. This woman happened to be related
to Irina and as a thank you she offered Rubin
her phone number, and as Irina said “the rest
was history”.
Irina and Rubin have three beautiful children.
Leora Chaya is in the fifth grade at Mazel,
Nathan is in the 2nd grade at Mazel and little
Elan is turning 3yr old soon.
What do you like most about your job?

Dear Mazel Parents, in this issue of our
newsletter I would like you to get to know a
very special person: Irina Elnatanov. Irina is
the kindest, the sweetest person I have the
pleasure of knowing. Her smile lights up the
room and her eyes shine with goodness and
life! When in her presence, you feel calmness
and peace. I hope you too will have the
opportunity to meet Irina at the future Mazel
events, but in the meantime, read on to get to
know Irina some more.
Irina Elnatanov, lived in Brooklyn, NY most
of her life, but is originally from Tashkent,
Uzbekistan. By profession, Irina is a special
education teacher.

I love when I come in to a class and the students’
faces are beaming when they see me. I love giving
knowledge to children, teaching them something new. I
love that I have an opportunity to make a difference in
a child’s life. I still remember my favorite teachers and I
hope that I can leave the same positive impression on
my students.
What is most challenging about your job?
I have to admit that students with behavioral problems
are the most challenging. All students need to know
that they are cared about, sometimes it takes time to
build that trust.
How did you first learn about Mazel?
I learned about Mazel from my brother Alex, his
daughter Ariela has been a student since pre-nursery,
they absolutely love Mazel.
Why did you decide to send your child(ren) to Mazel
Day School?
I love Mazel’s philosophy of including Jews from
different backgrounds and observance levels.
Mazel’s progressive education is also a very positive
aspect of the school.

8

What do you like most about Mazel Day School?

What is your parenting philosophy?

I love the staff! Everyone is in collaboration to do what
is best for my children. From Chani, to the teachers to
Helen, everyone is very warm and caring.

Our parenting philosophy is parent by showing and
modeling not only by lecturing. Children notice
everything, they are little sponges picking up on
everything they see and hear. They test and test and
test, and push their parents to the limits, but I learned
that as long as we are consistent, eventually they realize
where the limits lie and how far they can push them.

What do you expect from Mazel education?
I expect that my children will learn how to live in
harmony with children from different backgrounds,
while still remaining true to their own beliefs and
customs. I also expect for my children to be prepared to
take on the following educational milestones.
What is your favorite activity with your child(ren)?
We love to bake together. Whenever we have the
opportunity we bake cookies.
What character traits of your child(ren) always make
you smile?
I love Leora’s creativity and her sense of style.
I love Nathan’s sense of humor and his artistic
expression.
I love Elan’s laugh and his kindness towards everyone
around him.
Describe one occasion when your kids really made
you proud.
Every Shabbat after I light the candles they begin
setting the table. When my husband comes home from
Shul, Elan runs over to him to shake his hand and say
“Shabbat Shalom”. My heart fills with pride.
Mazel parents come from different backgrounds.
How would you describe your religious observance at
home?
I was not observant when Rubin and I met, although
he was. We discussed religion prior to marriage and I
agreed that it would be favorable to raise our children
in an observant home. I remember going on school
Shabbatons and being in awe of the way the families
celebrated Shabbat, no TV or telephones distracting
anyone, but a day of complete attention on the family. I
couldn’t wait to have that in my family as well.

January issues of our newsletter is focused on safety.
Do you ever discuss safety with your children? How
do you draw a line between being over protective and
communicating what is safe/unsafe? What concerns
you most about safety as your children are growing
up and how are you addressing the safety topics with
your children?
We constantly discuss safety with our children; it is an
ongoing topic of discussion in our family. When Leora
was about five years old I helped her memorize my cell
phone number and our address with the use of a song.
My biggest concern about safety as my children are
growing is that I will not be there supervising them as
I do now, they will become more independent and I
will not always be able to shelter them from all the bad
things in the world.
When we discuss strangers, we include strangers on
the internet. I have told my children several true stories
of children who didn’t know better and got into serious
trouble because they met people on the internet who
lied about their identities. They know that they are
not allowed to communicate with people through the
internet unless they know them in person.
We teach our children the appropriate behavior in an
emergency or potentially hazardous situation, and we
trust that they will carry out what they’ve learned. As
difficult as it is to let our children go and do things on
their own, we realize that we cannot hold their hands
forever, we teach them as best we can and trust in them
to do what they have been taught.

9

Morah’s Trade Secrets
MAZEL MO RA H ’ S PA R E NTI NG TI PS
Have you ever found yourself wondering:
“How do those Mazel teachers do it”?
We are excited to bring you a new column
written each month by a different team
of our very own school teachers who will
be sharing their insights, tips and “trade
secrets” to help you incorporate that special
Mazel environment in your own home.
This month’s “Morah’s Parenting Tips” was
written by Morah Bassie Aronow (PreK 2)
in collaboration with Morah Perel Rotenberg
(PreNursery 2). If you have a particular
parenting-related question that you would
like the Morahs to address, please email us
as mazelnewsletter@gmail.com.

By Morah Bassie Ar onow &
Morah Perel Rotenberg

have a hard time expressing himself, and difficulty
trusting himself or others.
It may be difficult to accept and validate our children’s
feelings. We must try to understand why we sometimes
feel helpless and overwhelmed when dealing with our
children’s feelings and conflicts. Even as adults, many
times we don’t take the time or know how to validate
our own feelings. Knowing how to validate feelings is a
skill. It can be learnt.
Our goal is to embrace our children’s feelings, accepting
and allowing children to express their full range of
emotions, while also teaching them boundaries. When
we listen to a child, we show the child their feelings are
real and important. It allows them to feel safe, trust us
and themselves, open up and express how they feel. It
also allows us to get to know them better. Accepting
their feelings doesn’t mean we must support negative
behaviors that occur as a result.
What are ways we can validate our children’s
feelings?
1. We calmly come down to their eye level and
look at the child as the child looks back at you.
2. We can say what we see, such as, “You look
so sad. Do you want to tell me why?”
Some children are still too young to have a
language to say how they feel, so we can say it
for them. “You face looks very upset and I see
you were crying. Did someone take a toy away
from you that you wanted?”

There are moments in every child’s life when he/she is
upset. Perhaps there are hurt feelings, or maybe they
want something they can’t have at that moment.
Often, adults try to intervene by attempting to “fix”
things, to lay the matter to rest as fast as possible and
regain peace and quiet. The child may be told that
what happened is not important, and/or that it isn’t
necessary to cry about. We tell the child to move on,
but this infers that their feelings aren’t valid.
Feelings that are not acknowledged can cause the child
to feel frustrated and alone. The child begins to feel that
his feelings are not worth much, and he learns not to
trust his perceptions and thoughts. He may therefore

Always ask the child for information. Never assume
what may have happened between two children and
act on it without checking for veracity. Always gather as
much information as you can in order to assess. You can
say it back to them to confirm that you are correct.
Always maintain a positive attitude and demonstrate
the fun possibilities that can arise when generating
solutions. Emphasize the positive in each attempt to
problem solve with phrases such as, “Now we know
what doesn’t work!”
After we validate any feelings of the child we try and
direct their behavior. We offer solutions how they can
better cope with a given situation and how they feel

10

Morah’s Trade Secrets
MAZEL MO RA H ’ S PA R E NTI NG TI PS
about it. We can also distract them in a healthy way.
For example, if a child wants a toy at the supermarket.
You can first say “I understand you’re upset and
disappointed about not getting the toy.” Then distract
or offer a solution. “How about you help me choose
which cereal to buy?”
Children don’t look at problems the same way as adults
do. They need help to learn problem solving and they
need practice making healthy decisions on their own.
So, many times we must intervene and coach them to a
better place in mind and spirit.
We can talk to the child about ideas and approaches to
hypothetical situations. Discuss new events, story plots,
and friends’ situations with your child, and ask him what
he would do at various decision points.
However, after all the coaching and modeling the
problem solving process for your child, and breaking
complex problems down into smaller parts for the child
to understand, you can experiment with this idea of

By Morah Bassie Ar onow &
Morah Perel Rotenberg

allowing the child to work out his problem on his own
instead of intervening.
Children are natural problem solvers when children
interact with one another and participate in decision
making; it offers countless opportunities for children to
grow in their problem solving abilities. These important
experiences help children to value different kinds of
thinking, think logically and creatively, and take an
active role in their world.
Don’t forget to give praise – direct praise for good
behavior and good choices the child made. For
example, a child who wanted to keep reading instead of
going to bed when asked, and closed the book anyways
and got ready for bed, you can say, “I appreciate
you listening the first time and getting ready for bed
although you really wanted to keep reading your book.
Thank you.”
Validate, make children feel safe, and build trust!

You can do it!! Good luck!

Parenting Book of the Month

By Chani Okonov

Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids: How to Stop Yelling and Start
Connecting
by Dr. Laura Markham
Dr. Laura Markham is a clinical psychologist specializing in child development and
parenting. The founder of AhaParenting.com, she supports parents every day in her
private coaching practice and daily email inspirations. She lives in New York City
with her husband and their two teenage children.
Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids: How to Stop Yelling and Start Connecting is a
groundbreaking guide to raising responsible, capable, happy kids. Based on the
latest research on brain development and extensive clinical experience with parents,
Dr. Laura Markham’s approach is as simple as it is effective. Her message: Fostering
emotional connection with your child creates real and lasting change. When you
have that vital connection, you don’t need to threaten, nag, plead, bribe—or even
punish.
This remarkable guide will help parents better understand their own emotions—
and get them in check—so they can parent with healthy limits, empathy, and clear
communication to raise a self-disciplined child. Step-by-step examples give solutions and kid-tested phrasing for
parents of toddlers right through the elementary years.
If you’re tired of power struggles, tantrums, and searching for the right “consequence,” look no further. You’re
about to discover the practical tools you need to transform your parenting in a positive, proven way.

Thank You!
A special note of appreciation to those parents
who made gift donations to their child’s
classroom in recent months:
Shafir family for donating new learning games to
the Kindergarten classroom in honor of Sammy’s
birthday... Irlin family for contributing lots of math
learning games to the Second Grade class in
honor of Sophia’s birthday... Khodorkovsky family
for donating books to the class library in PreK
2...Verkhovsky family for gifting a set of literacy
board games to the Second Grade class in honor
of Alan’s birthday... Gabo family for donating
books to the First Grade class library in honor
of Rachel’s birthday... Khanukayev family for
donating models of human body parts to PreK 2
in honor of Boris’s birthday... Sendersky family for
contributing a math learning game to the Second

Grade in honor of Sammy’s birthday... Melnikov
family for donating a game of Scrabble to the
Third Grade in honor of Chanukah... Khenkin
family for gifting new games and toys to PreK1
and PreK2 in honor of Ben and Emma’s birthday...
Biniaminova family for contributing new books
to the classroom library... Simakhov family for
donating a sound matching game to PreK1...
Gabo, Verkhovsky and Katz families for gifting the
second grade class with great games for recess
play.
Whether you want to give a gift to your child’s
class in honor of his/her birthday or just
because... check out your class’s online wish list
of carefully selected items that will be greatly
appreciated and used by your child’s teachers.

We acknowledge and thank the following organizations for their continuous support:
UJA Federation of New York
Gruss Life C.I.J.E. and the Fund for Jewish Education.
16

Parent Page: January 2014

Safety Is Always First The great thing about Mazel parents is that they are some of the most safety conscious people on the planet. When it comes to illness prevention, stranger danger, or avoiding hazards around the house, Mazel parents are already ahead of the curve. At Mazel we don’t take safety any less seriously than the parents do at home, and that’s pretty serious. Our kids visit a firehouse to learn what to do in case of an emergency, and police officers visit us to give the kids a look at their job of keeping everyone safe. By reinforcing important safety concepts at home and in school we insure that our kids learn and have fun while being aware of their surroundings.